Samson saves the day but has sympathy for Hamilton

AMIDST the euphoria of the late winning goal on St Mirren’s return to Scotland’s footballing elite, Craig Samson thought of Leigh Griffiths.

Samson was the hero at one end, saving Sofien Moussa’s penalty, then watched with glee, yet also sympathy, as at the other Dundee goalkeeper Jack Hamilton dithered with the ball at his feet, allowing Ryan Flynn to steal in and set up Danny Mullen for a tap in.

Especially since it could have so very easily been Samson and not Hamilton cast as the villain, the St Mirren No 1 having hauled Jean Mendy to the ground in the penalty area after confusion between him and Cole Kpekawa, only to then palm away Moussa’s spot- kick.

“I remember the exact same thing happening to me when Leigh Griffiths took the ball off me at the exact same goal and put it in an empty net,” remembered Samson of October 22, 2011 when he attempted to dribble round the Hibernian striker, only to be dispossessed of the ball and see Griffiths net as St Mirren lost 3- 2.

“That’s the way Dundee want to play and I’m sure Jack will learn from it and when and where to kick it away.

“But as a goalkeeper of course you feel for him when you make a mistake. It’s not going to be the last one he makes and he’ll certainly have great games.

“You learn from them and try not to repeat them.

“It’s the job we’re in. We make that wee mistake, we lose a goal and Jack knows that, I know that, every goalie w ho p l a y s f o o t b a l l knows that.

“Sometimes we’ll get absolutely slaughtered for it. In this game I went and saved a penalty. If I hadn’t saved a penalty it would have been ‘ Samson gives it away and loses St Mirren the game’.

“That’s how close it can be between being the hero and being the villain.”

Dundee manager Neil McCann refused to castigate Hamilton for his error and, for him, the villain of the piece – not withstanding his forwards who missed a plethora of opportunities in an enthralling encounter – was referee Alan Muir. McCann believed Muir should have sent off Samson just before the hour mark rather than giving him a yellow card, as in his view there was “no genuine attempt” to play the ball.

Dundee goalscorer Elton Ngwatala, who equalised in the 12th minute after Mullen had headed his and St Mirren’s first in their 2- 1 triumph just minutes earlier, also added: “I think [ it was] a red card.”

Samson though insisted it was “definitely not a red card”.

“The rule is that you’re not going to get sent off if you’re trying to get the ball,” the 34- year- old, in his second spell at St Mirren, said. “If he’s in the box and I try to get the ball it’s a yellow card now.”

It may have just been the first league game of the campaign for last season’s Ladbrokes Championship winners, but Samson’s already faced plenty of penalty pract ice in St Mi r ren’s Bet fred Cup spot- kick successes over Kilmarnock, Spartans and Queen’s Park. “I think that was my fifth I’ve saved already,” said Samson. “We’ve had a lot of penalties this season but as goalkeepers you do your homework. “Yo u wa t c h people hitting them and you try and get a wee routine they’ve got going. “I’d spoken to someone last year when [ Moussa] scored a few and it came into my mind when he wa s h i t t i n g the penalty. “I had an idea roughly what he likes to do. Fortunately for me it came off.” Samson also remembered St Mirren’s other hero of the day, lavishing praise on double scorer Mullen. Even if he also joked – we think – that when Mullen was told he also had media duties to do the forward thought that meant “he had to write things down”.

“People might say he can’t score as many goals [ at this level],” said Samson. “He’s gone and got two in his first game in the Premiership. I couldn’t be happier for the wee guy.

“He is so likeable it’s frightening. He’s really thick but it makes him really likeable. Out on that park he will give everything every single week.”

This week coming for St Mirren is one where Samson will also likely be required to have a day to remember from a positive perspective if Saints are to come away with any points. A trip to Steven Ger rard’s Rangers on Sunday awaits.

“You’ve got to try to take confidence from this game,” said Samson. St Mirren’s shot- stopper added: “We got up into this league to go to Ibrox and Parkhead, to go to Pittodrie. They’re the games we want to play in.”